Patriots

Light On Seau: ‘Wish There Was Something I Could Have Done’

Junior Seau #55 of the New England Patriots celebrates with the Lamar Hunt Trophy after defeating the San Diego Chargers by a score of 21-12 to win the AFC Championship Game on January 20, 2008 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

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BOSTON (CBS) – Former New England Patriots offensive lineman Matt Light was at a loss for words when he found out about the death of Junior Seau.

“To get this news, it’s hard to believe and it’s hard to imagine we lost such a great guy,” he told WBZ-TV’s Steve Burton over the phone Wednesday afternoon, just hours after Seau allegedly took his own life at his home in California. “Obviously being around Junior for three years, just being around him, I think everyone wanted to be. He was such an energetic guy and brought so much passion to the game; he really elevated the play of everyone around him.”

Seau spent parts of four seasons with the Patriots from 2006-09. He was a team captain in 2007 and played in every regular season and playoff game that season. After his retirement from football in 2010, Seau made headlines for driving his car off a cliff after an alleged domestic dispute.

Light, who just retired himself, said there is a big transition going from football to retired life.

“I think you go through a transition in your life at certain times; we all do it. I don’t think people realize what this game can do to people and how difficult it is and how hard it is to make that transition,” said Light. “There is the perception out there that these guys make all the money in the world and they have everything they need. I just think an act like this, when something happens like this, it puts everything in perspective.”

“I think the biggest thing it’s done for me it makes me ask the question ‘what could I have done?’ I think we’re all asking ourselves that and why we didn’t do something sooner, how it got to this point. Unfortunately, it’s too late now.”

“There was nobody that anybody wanted to be around more than Junior, and I’ll leave it at that,” said Light. “My heart goes out to his family and I know how difficult this must be. I just wish there was something I could have done.”